Lamp switch



Jan. 5, 1937. w. c. EDWARDS 2,067,7077

LAMP SWITCH Filed Aug. 8, 1935 INVENTOR VVz'/If'm f. Edwards.

v z ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 5, 19,37

PATENT OFFICE LAMP SWITCH William Correll Edwards, Anderson, Ind., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application August 8, 1935, Serial No. 35,309

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a functionally and structurally improved dash lamp switch construction capable of use in numerous diierent associations, but primarily intended for use with an instrument panel of an automotive vehicle.

An object of the present invention is to improve the construction and the arrangement of the parts of switches of the aforementioned character that is neat in appearance and emcient and reliable in operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved forms of actuating elements for the switch.

Further objects and advantages `of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a. front view of the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but rotated ninety degrees and showing the switch in a circuit closed position.

Fig. 4 is a reary view looking in the direction of arrow 4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 8--6 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 1--1 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 9 is a partial elevation of the switch construction looking in the direction of arrow 9 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing, a cup-shaped hous- `ing 20 is provided with an integral end wall. 2|

having an aperture to receive a bushing 22. The bushing is provided with an annular recess 23 within which the end wall is received for attaching the parts together during manufacture, thereby providing an economical construction.

The bushing 22 is adapted to pass through an the bushing 22 and with it the housing 20 tothe instrument panel 24. To maire that the housing 2U will have onlyv one definite relation with respect to the instrument panel alug 28 isstruck outwardly from the end wall 2| and adapted to extend into a recess 21 provided by the instrument panel.

'I'he bushing 22 is counterbored to provide a shoulder bearing for a sleeve 30. 'Ihe sleeve has an enlarged portion 3| and a reduced portion 32. Between the portions 3| and 32 a detent shelf is provided which cooperates with the shoulder, provided by the counterbore of the bushing,- to prevent movement of the sleeve inwardly of the bushing. The reduced portion 32 of the sleeve is provided with longitudinal slots 34. 'I'he sleeve 30 is prevented from moving outward any substantial distance with respect to the bushing 22 by a pair of diametrically disposed prongs 35 struck outwardly and located between a pair of stops 36 provided by inner end of the bushing 22. The prongs 35 are so bent that the sleeve will have a slight axial movement relative to the bushing to permit a free rotary movement of the sleeve within the bushing. The prongs also cooperate with the stops 36 of the bushing to limit rotative movements of the sleeve 30. The reduced portion 32 of the sleeve is also provided with axially extending fingers 31 and are diametrically disposed on the sleeve between the longitudinal slots 34. The sleeve and the fingers 31 provide'an actuator or controller for a rotatable contact carrier or block 38 of non-conducting material carried within the housing 20. 'I'he block provides notches 39 to receive the lingers 31, thus the block is drivingly connected with the sleeve 30. The block also has notches-40 which are diametrically disposed on the block between the notches 39, by which the block is drivingly connected with tongues 4| of a U-shaped bridging member 42 having bosses 43 to provide contact elements.

An insulating washer 45 is provided with projections 46 which are received by the longitudinal slots 34 in the reduced portion 32 o1' the sleeve 30. The washer supports a conducting plate 41 which may be xed to the washer 4B in any suitable manner. A conducting spring 48 has one end thereof engaging the plate 41 while the other end extends through an aperture provided by the block 38 to electrically engage the bridging member '42. The spring 48 operates to urge the bosses 43 of the bridging member against a terminal block 50 and the lplate against a contact 68 of an incandescent lamp 85. The -bosses 43 are adapted to be received by certain ones offour depressions 5| spaced equally about the axisof the block 50. One of these depressions is provided by a4 stationary terminal rivet 52'. The rivet 52 secures in position a terminal clip member 54. The terminal block 50 may be secured to the housing 20 as by having tongues 88 clinched over the block.

The enlarged portion 3| of the sleeve lll is provided with diametrically disposed notches 80 to provide tongues 8|, one of the tongues 8| has a slot 82 while the other tongue has an aperture 63. The enlarged portion of the sleeve is adapted to receive the incandescent lamp 85, shown in dot and dash lines, having a base provided with suitable bayonet projections or pins. The reduced portion 22 of the sleeve 3U, snugly receives the base of the lamp, is provided with bayonet channels 86 having seats, 81 which receive the pins of the base. The pins are maintained in the seats 81 by the conducting spring 48 which also urges the plate 41 against the single pole contact 88 of the lamp.

'I'he enlarged portion 3| of the sleeve 3l s adapted to receive the hollow shank of a handle knob 88 to enclose the lamp within the sleeve 88. The hollow shank of the knob is provided with an elongated indentation 18, arranged transversely to the axis of the knob, which is adapted to nt into the slot 82, thus the knob is drivingly connected with the sleeve 38. The hollow shank of the knob is also provided with an indentation 1| and an elongated opening '|2. The opening 12 is arranged transversely to the axis of the knob. 'Ihe indentation 1| cooperates with the opening 88 to hold the knob on the sleeve 80. When the knob is assembled to the sleeve the opening 12 will extend over and across one of the notches 80 of the enlarged portion 3| of the sleeve so that when the knob is moved in a clockwise direction, as viewed from Fig. 1, to actuate the sleeve 80, the sleeve 80 will drive the contact carrier, which in turn will drive the 40 bridging member 42. By turning the knob 88 substantially ninety degrees in a clockwise direction, one of the bosses 43 will engage the terminal rivet 52 to close a circuit, thus causing the lamp 85 to burn and the rays of light from the lamp will be directed through opening 12 upon the instrument panel. When the switch is moved into the circuit closed position, as indicated in Fig. 3, the current will flow from a current source (not shown) through the following elements 54, 52, 42, 48, 41, 68, illament of the lamp to the base and then to ground. When it is desired toopen the circuit, the knob 88 may be moved in a counterclockwse direction, thus separating one of the bridging contact bosses 48 from the terminal 52. l

The outward appearance of the switch device is improved by a shroud 80. 'I'he shroud carries a bracket 8| provided with a suitable slot that passes over the threaded portion of the bushing. The bracket 8| has a notch 82 to receive the end portion of the tongue 26 provided by the housing 20. The notch 82 operates to keep the bracket 8| and the shroud 80 from rotating relative to the panel 24. The bracket 8| is held firmly against the panel 24 by the nut 25.

The front wall of the shroud has an aperture through which the hollow shank of the knob passes to ilt over the enlarged portion 8| of the sleeve 80. The knob 88 is also provided with a knurled portion to facilitate the turning of the knob.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form it is to be understood thatv other forms might be adopted, allv coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

l. An actuator for a rotary switch, comprising in combination, a housing, a bushing supported by the housing and carrying a pair of stops within the housing, a shelf within the bushing, a tubular member journaled in the bushing and having a provision extending beyond the stops to effect a driving engagement with a circuit closing mechanismto be actuated, said tubular member also having an annular shoulder and radially projecting members to lie between the stops, the shoulder resting on the shelf to limit the inwardly movement of the tubular member while the projecting members cooperate with the stops to limit the rotary movements of the tubular member and to maintain the tubular member assembled with the bushing.

2. An actuator for a rotary switch comprising in combination, a fixed hollow support carrying stops at one end thereof, a detent shelf within the support, atubular member journaled in the support and having provisions extending beyond the stops to effect a driving engagement with a circuit closing mechanism to be actuated, said member provided with an annular shoulder and a pair of ears, said shoulder resting upon the shelf and providing a thrust bearing for the tubular member and said ears cooperating with the stops to limit the rotary movements of the tubular member and said ears also operating to maintain the tubular member assembled with the hollow support.

3. In a rotary switch, the combination comprising, a bushing, a pair of stops carried at one end of the bushing, a contact carrier, a tubular member rotatably supported in the bushing and having provisions extending beyond the stops t0 effect a driving engagement with the contact carrier, and means carried by the tubular member projecting between the stops and cooperating with same to limit the rotary movements of the tubular member, and said means also operating to hold the tubular member. against material axial movement of the tubular member relative to the bushing.

4. In a device of the character described. the combination comprising, a housing, a support carried by the housing, a fixed contact carried by the support, a movable contact cooperating with the ilxed contact, a bushing supported by the housing, a tubular member rotatably supported within the bushing and having provisions at one end for operating the movable contact and having longitudinal notches extending from the other end, said bushing and tubular member having interengaging formations to permit limited rotary movements of the tubular member relative to the bushing, and said interengaging formations also preventing axial movement of the tubular member relative to the bushing, a lamp carried by the tubular member, and a knob provided with an opening, said knob telescoping over the longitudinal notches provided by the tubular member whereby the rays of light from the lamp will pass through the opening of the knob.

5. In a lamp device adapted to illuminate an instrument panel, the combination comprising, a housing, a terminal support provided with a stationary contact carried by the housing, a movable contact, a bushing supported by the housing, a sleeve rotatably supported in the bushing for rotating the .movable contact and for carrying a lamp, said sleeve carrying projections cooperating acciao?? with notches provided by the bushing to prevent relative axial movement of the sleeve relative to the bushing while permitting limited rotary movement of the sleeve relative to the bushing, a resilient member for electrically connecting the lamp with the movable contact, and said resilient;

- member operating to urge the movable contact toward the terminal support, and means closing one end of the sleeve, said means having a driving engagement with the sleeve to actuate the sleeve in one direction of rotation to close a circuit and causing the lamp to burn, said closing means and sleeve having provisions communicating with each other to provide a window whereby the rays of light will pass through the Window to illuminate the instrument panel.

6. A lamp device adapted to be mounted on an instrument panel, comprising in combination, a housing, a terminal support provided with a stationary contact carried by the housing, a bushing carried by the housing, a sleeve having spaced longitudinal notches extending from one end of the sleeve and rotatably supported in the bushing, said bushing and sleeve having interengaging formations to permit limited turning movement of the sleeve relative to the bushing and preventing relative axial movement of the sleeve relative to the bushing, a iloating contact supported within the housing and adapted to be rotated by the sleeve to engage the stationary contact, a lamp supported within the sleeve, resilient -means for electrically connecting the floating contact with the lamp and operating to urge the oating contact against the terminal support, and a knob provided with an illumination opening and having a driving engagementr with the sleeve to rotate same and the lloating contact in one direction to close a circuit whereby the rays of the light from the lamp will pass through one of the longitudinal notches of the sleeve and the opening of the knob to illuminate the instrument panel.

7. A lamp device adapted to be mounted on an instrument panel, comprising in combination, a housing, a terminal support provided with a stationary contact carried by the housing, a bushing, a socket member rotatably supported in the bushing, a floating contact yieldably supported Within the housing and adapted to be rotated by the socket member to engage the stationary contact, a lamp carried by the socket member, resilient means for electrically connecting the lamp with the floating contact and for urging the floating contact against the terminal support, and a knob provided with an illumination opening and having a driving engagement with the socket member to rotate the same and the oating contact into engagement with the stationary contacts whereby the rays of light will pass through the opening to illuminate the instrument panel.

' WILLIAM CORRELL EDWARDS. 

